My name is Feza Mbilizi. I am 17 years old and live in the Panzi area of Bukavu City in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. I live with my mother and four siblings. My mother is a potter and has raised us by herself since my father left four years ago. She works every day to put food on the table and provide for us. Still, raising five children as a single parent is tough, and sometimes her hard work is not enough.
Before I joined the Women for Women International Adolescent Girls Program, I had to drop out of school because my mother could not afford to send all of us to school. I wanted to help her, so I started working with her. I knew my education mattered, and I had always hoped to finish my last year of secondary school. However, I felt my family needed more support to make ends meet.
Back then, my mother joined the WfWI's Stronger Women Stronger Nations program and learned how to make pots as part of her vocational skills training. I would often go with her to her training sessions and loved watching her learn and create. Seeing her work inspired me, so I began asking her to teach me as well.
At first, I just wanted to learn what my mother knew. As she showed me, I realized I enjoyed working with my hands. I learned to shape clay, to be patient, and to turn something simple into something both useful and beautiful.
I noticed something else while she was enrolled in the program—learning a skill changed my mother. She got a chance to learn, and it gave her more than just a way to earn money. It gave her confidence and a sense of possibility. I wanted that for myself.
When WfWI announced they were starting an adolescent girls' program in my neighborhood, I felt excited. I enrolled and joined the program. For the first time, I found a place made just for girls like me, where I could learn, ask questions, share my experiences, and think about my future.
I have learned about my rights and how my body works. I also know how to take care of myself during my periods. I have learned about saving and investing money, and I joined a Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) group.
The training center felt like a safe place for me. I met other girls, talked with them, learned from the trainers, and saw that I was not alone.
Then I received my first stipend. For someone like me, it was more than money. It was an opportunity. I began thinking about going back to school. I knew that returning to regular classes would not be easy. I had responsibilities at home and needed to keep up with my vocational training. I couldn’t ignore what my family was going through.
I decided to try a different approach. With my stipend, I signed up as an independent student. I didn’t attend regular classes but studied on my own whenever I had time. I balanced studying with work, helping my mother, and attending training. Through it all, I kept reminding myself why I started and why I wanted to finish.
The day of my national exam finally came. I took the test feeling both nervous and hopeful. When I found out I had passed and earned my state diploma, I was very happy. I look at my mother's story differently now. I realized that my mother is in this situation today, partly because she never had the opportunity to pursue her education. Education is important.
While I keep making pots, I have found a new dream. I hope to attend university and receive specialized training in culinary arts. I discovered this skill and started learning it through the program. I want to keep improving and, one day, use what I learn to support myself and my family.
Most of all, I think about the moment I decided to return to school. Going through WfWI’s program has not solved every problem in my life, but it has showed me that my circumstances do not have to define my future.